Carcass-dehairing mechanism.



A. HANNAPORD. cARcAss DBHAIRING MEGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED HAY 13. 190B. 1 ,016,495. Patented Feb. 6, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. HANNAPORD. GARQASS DEHAIQING MEGHANISM.

' APPLIUATION FILED MAY 13. 1909. 1,01 6,495. Patented Feb. 6, 1912;

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2A A. HANNAFORD.

UARGASS DBHAIRING MBGHANIBM.

y APPLIATIUN FILED MAY 13.1909. 1,016,495.

Patented Feb. 6, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

A. HANNAPORD. cARoAss DBHAIRING MEGHANISM,

APPLIUATIGN FILED MAY 13. 1900. 1 .016,495.

Patented Feb. 6, 1912.

4 SBEETSvSHBET 44.

ahve/.varon UNITED y STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

ALFRED HANNAFOBD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINUIS.

CABCASS-DEHAIRING MECHANISM.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that` I. ALrnEn HANNAroRI). a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago. in the county of Cook and State of Illinois. have invented a new and useful Improvement .in Carcass-Dehairing Mechanism, of which the following is specification.

My invention relates to power-operated mechanism for dehairing and polishing the carcasses of slaughtered hogs, or other slaughtered, animals; and the invention provides a machine, for such purpose. of high efficiency and extreme compactness and simplicity of construction and positiveness of operation, and has for further objects such other novel improvements in structure on function as may he found to obtain in the device hereinafter'descrihed or claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification. and in which like reference numerals indicate like parts in all of the liguresI--Fignre l is a vertical longi te .nal sectional view through the machine;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view; Fig. 3 isan end view at the left-hand end of the scraper and olisher mechanism shown in Figs. 1 and 2; lligrll is a transverse vertical' sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view into the forward end of the machiue showing the dehaired carcass of the hog as it is heilig discharged onto the gauihreling hench.

l0 is the scalding-tub. filled with .superheated water. i-nto which thc carcasses of the slaughtered hogs. are lirst` conveyed and floated. 'hcn sullicientlv scalded to properly loosen the h air and bristles. the carcass is floated to and engaged and lifted by the continuously running endless convejfer .whose lower end is immersed in the scalding tub, such conveyer heilig formed of a series of transverse wedge-shaped wooden slats ll, 11 mounted at their opposite ends on the linksl of the endless sprocket-chains 12 that travel on the sprockets 13 and 14, the sprockets 13 being mounted on the driven upper cross-shaft 15. and the' sprockets 14 being mounted on the lower cross-shaft 1G that isjournaled lin the adjustable hearings 17, 17 adjusted by the hand-wheels 18, 18 to vary the tension ofthe endless conveyor. The driven cross-shaft 15 is driven by the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application tiled May 13, 1909.

Patented Feb. 6, 1912. Serial No. 495,595.

meshing of the bevel-gear 19, on its right end, with the bevel pinion 2O on the rear end of the short horizontal drive-shaft 21 whose other end is provided with a sprocket 22 engaged by an endless sprocket-chain 23 that passes over and is driven by the smaller sprocket 2+ on the cxtreme rear end of the axle of one of the careass-conveyer rollers of the scraper mechanism, continuously in motion*r As the carcass islifted. preferahllv si out first. over the high point of the endless slat-conveyer, it is chnted down the smooth inclined chiite 25, onto the rear ends of the gang of horizontal spirally-rihhed conrever-rollers 26, 2B, which are severally in constant rotation in such direction that, their spiral ribbing 27 will engage and carry forward the carcass. passing it under the entire length of the beater-shaft 28 and dis charging it on the inclined gamhrelingheuch 29. 'l`l1'e carcass conveyed through the heater-nn-chanism is freely supported on these conveyer-rollers. without being grappled to them. the carcass being free of any grappling to the means that advance it. 'l'he conrever-rollers are mutually parallel, and also parallel toand have their axes at equal radial distances from the axis of the hemel-shaft 28, and their ends are jonrnaled in the segu1ent-forrned castings 30 that are stationarily secured in the framework 31 of the .scraper mechanism. Thesecastings 30 also journal the two soi ewhat larger and suiootlcfaced 'conrever-rollers 32, 33, disposed respectively above and below and paralleliug the gang of spiral conveyers 26 and having their axes at the same radial distance from the axis of the beater-shaft.. The peripheral face-34 of each journal-easting 30 has its curvature struck from the axis of the bea|er-shaft as a center, so that these castings may he conveniently adjusted and .secured in the proper angular relation to the beater-shaft, the positioning that is most effective being substantially that; shown most .clearly m Figs. 3 and 4,. with the highest of the gang of conveyerfrollers well 100 forward, in the angular direction of the heater-shafts rotation, of avertical plane projected downward from the length of the axis of the beater-shaft.. The onveyerrollers have their rear ends vided with the sprockets 35 engaged and severally pro- '1051 driv: u by the endless sprocket-chain 36 that sitioned that as the sweep of the beaters passes over and is continuously driven by tends to roll the carcass upward, in the dithe sprocket-pinion 37 on the rear end of rection of such sweep, the rotation of the the drive-shaft 38 that is mounted on one rollers-will tend to roll the. carcass downed e of the top of the framework 31. The ward, against the sweep of the beaters, and 7o id e sprockets 39, 39, mounted on the adso preserve it, during its travel through the jacent journalrasting 30, hold thesprocketbeater mechanism, substantially under the chain 36 to its working engagement with the beater shaft or somewhat lifted toward the sprockets 35; and the accessory sprocket 40, side in the direction of the sweep of the 10 journaled inthe adjustable bearings 41, 4l beaters. The slip of the rolling carcass 75 adjustahly tension said sprocket-chain 3G ribbed rollers, as it is rolled and advanced and to hold it clear of the. path of travel of along such rollers` serves to scrape off a con the carcasses entering the beater mechanism. siderable part of the hair from such ca rat the top of the framework 31, serves to across the edges of the spiral ribs of the The forward end of the beater-shaft 28 has cass, the ribs thus acting as Scrapers auxilso the forward end of the lona'I drive-shaft 38;

45 45', 46 are mounted on the forward end of 3b platform 52.

65 And the gang of conveyer rollers are so posecured upon it the sprocket 42 that is eniary to the Scrapers on the beaters. The aged and'continuously driven by the endsmooth rollers on either side of thc gang of sprockebchain 43 that. passes over and spirally ribbed conveyor rollers tend Ito is driven by the sprocket 44 secured near check the carcass from rolling either too far upward, in the direction of the sweep g5 of the beaters, or too far in the reverse d1- rertion. The travel of the carcasses through the beater mechanism is exceedin ly rapid, as high as a couple of hundre per hour` or eren more. The beaters themselves, 9o formed of loops ot' flexible belting with dull-edged scraper blades on their forward faces, yield and conform to the contour of the carcass as they sweep over it, and yet are sufliciently elastic to spring back into 95 normal position, with their apices swee ing in close proximity to the conveyer-ro lers. The loop form peculiarly aids and maintains their 'ciency and flexible elasticity. While long use' renders them more yield- 100 ing, this fact is found 4an advantage, for they may readily be replaced and renewe and if so renewed at the beginning of what is termed the hard hair period, the cold season at which the hair andY bristles cling 105 most tt-.naciously to the hides of the car. casses, the beaters will be stiffest, and beat the carcasses most rigorously, at such period, and then, under continued use, will have become more yielding, and so less violent 110 in their action, whenthe soft hair or warm season arrives. The recurved apex of the loop of each heater gives a rolling action to the sweep of the beater as it passes and the rotation thus imparted to the beatershaft 28 is in the same direction as the simultaneous rotations of the several converer-rollers. The fixed and loose pulleys said drive-shaft 38 and belted to the drum 47 secured on the powershaft 48 whose fixed pulley 49 is belted to the motor-shaft pulley V50 of the motor 51 mounted on the Along the entire length of the beater shaft 28, within the ends of the frame work 3l, there are fixed successive pairs of dialnetrically opposed loop beaters 53,

the successive pairs being spirally disposed around the shaft, with the successive heaters advanced an an llar distance of one-sixth of a circum erence, so that each three successive pairs complete a cycle of the spiral and the entire, set of beaters are so distributed as to radiate, in equal numbers, in six equi-spaced directions from the rotating shaft that carries them. 'Each beater 53 consists in a loop of heavy but `flexible bclting, with three mutally-stagered and forwardly-curved dull-edged me tallic scraper-s 54 riveted on the forward face of such loop close to its recurved apex. The two ends of cach loop .'33` are brought together and both seflred in a tangential osition on the same of the beater-shaft, the thus disposed ends of each pair of diamctrically opposed beaters beingr secured on dianu-,trically opposite sides of thcshaft, by

55 means of bolts 55 passing through the beater-ends and the shaft, the forward face of the forward end of each beater being in' e -innnediate.tangential contact with the shaft. As the carcass traverses the length of the gang of conveyor-rollers, it is rolled over and over bv the conjoint action of the rotation of said rollers and the sweep of the beaters, as the beater-shaft rotates in 4the same angulaidirection with the rollers.

carcass, and this feature of the functioning gives a further etliciencyto the beater action as' the beaters are centrifugall'y .thrown against and swept over the turning carcass.

heater mechanism, it is constantly spraye with scalr'liin.'` water, to facilitate the scraping and polishing. The sprayingris produced by the beaters striking a constant spray-head 56 located at the middle of the roof "74 of the heater compartment, such spray-head being fed throughs. feed-pipe 58 leading to a pump that is belted to the pnl'- over and clears itself from contact with the '115 While the carcass is passing through the stream of scolding water issuing from the 125 ley 59 on the power-shaft 48 and that draws 130 i water from the drain-trough (l0 located under the beuter-mechanism. the water m such trough being kept at sralding temperature e nath 1t the removed hair and bristles and;

ot herdetrit nsdra insofl bet ween theeonreyersaid rarcassbeing rollers and is directed down the drain inelines tf, 635 to the drain-apertured lop-plattI (i4 on the drain-water trough tit). The hair and bristles and otllerdelritus thus deposited on the said plate (i4 at the foot of incline G3, (lil are constantly'swept oll' of said plate, and into the aste-einde (i5, by the transverse paddles titi, titi peripberally mounted on the endless sprocket-chain (i7 that is .stretched across the entire width ofthe drain discharge spare at the foot of the iuelines 63, (i3. Une end of said endless chain (i7 passes over the sprocket 68 and the other end is engaged and driven by the sprocket (it) fixed on tbe shaft 70 that is journaled in the bearings 7l, 71, adjustable to tension said chain, and that has secured on its rear end a small sprocket driven by the sproelmt-rhain 72 passing over the large sprocket 735 on the forward end of the short shaft 7-1 tllat is mounted in the bearing 7.7 and has sequred on its rear end the large sprocket 'iti that is engaged and constantly driven by thi. same sprm-lcet-ehain 23 that actuales the drire of the slat-con\e \'er in the sr'alding-tub. This ('liain 523 is tcnsioned by the adjustabie idle. sprorlcet 77 mounted on the adjacent rear end of framework 3l.

I have hereinalmve described one form of construction in which my invention is embodied but it may also be embodied in other forms of construct ion within the terms of the claims hereinafter made.

lViiat. l claim as my invention` and desire to secure by Letters latent, is

4i. In a hog-dehairing machine. in eombination: u power-driven rotating shaft. having beaters borne thereon; and coperatively po\\'erdri\'en and rotarily-acting couveyel-Ineehanism adapted to freely and completely support Ille carcass and atV the same time roll it. laterally and adranee'it longitudinally while presentingr it to the simultaneous dehairing-act ion of the scrapermechanism, said eareass being free of any grappling to the advancing means; said conveyer-meehanism including a plurality of mutually parallel and similarly I 'otatiugconveyer-rollers, which are disposed in a segment-formed group concave to the beater shaft, and whose respective 'axes of rotation are substantially parallel to the aforesaid lmater-shaft. and extend in the 'direction in which the carcassl is advanced; substantially as specified.

y nism including a plurality of n 2. ln a hog-dehnirng machine, in combi` nation: a power-driven rotating shaft having beaters borne thereon; and cooperatively poner-driven and rotarilr-aetingi conveyorlnechanism adapted to freely and completely support the rari-ass and at the same time roll it laterally and advance it longitudinally while presenting itY to the simultaneous dehairing-aetiou of the seraper-mechanism, free of an grappling,r to the adra'nr-iug means: said conveyer-mechanism ineludinga plurality ofmutually parallel and similarly rotating eom'eyer-rollers; disposed in a segment-formed group concave to the heater shaft; and said beater-shaft being disposed in a position substantially horizontal and paralleling the face of said eonrever-mechauism upon which such ear-l cass is so rolled.l and extending in the direction in which the carcass is advanced; subf stantially as specified.

3. In a hog-dellaring machine, in combination: a power-driven rotating shaft having beaters borne thereon; and cooperatively po\\'erdri\'en and spirally-acting conveyermechanism adapted to freely and completely support the carcass and at the same time roll it laterally and advance it longitudinally while presenting it to the simultaneous dehauing-aetion .of the scraper-mechanism,

said carcass beingr free of any grappling to the ad ranciug means; said conveyor-mechaiutually par allel and similarly rotating conveyor-rollers. which' areI disposed in a segment-formed gromnroneave to the beater shaft. and whose respective axes ofurotation are substantially parallel to the aforesaid lwater-shaft. and extend in the direction in which thil carcass is advanced; substantially as specified.

4. ln a hog-lf-.hfiring machine` in combination: a poner-driven rotating shaft having beaters borne thereon; and cooperatively poner-driven and rotarily-acting couveyermechanism adapted to freely and completelysupport tlle carcass and4 a't the same time roll it laterally and advance it` longitudinally while. presenting it to the simultaneous dehairing-artion of the scraper-mechanism, .said carcass being free of any g|ap| )lil1g to the' advancing means; said eonveyer mechanism'inelluling a plurality of mutually parallel and similarly rotating'coiweyer-rollers whose respective axes of rotationare substantially parallel to the aforesaid beatershaft and extend in the direction in.which the carcass is advanced, said gang Lof rollers being disposed in a segment-formed group whose angular center is substantially to timeV side of a plane l'projected dmvnnard-friim the axis of rotationof the heater-shaft; .substantally as specified.

5. In a llog-dehairingmachine, in combi nation: a power-driven rotating shaft having beaters borne thereon; and coperatively power-driven and rotarily-acting conveyormechanism adapted to treel y and completely su port the carcass and at the saine time ioli it laterally and advance it longitudinally while presenting it to the simultaneous dehairing-action of the scraper-mechanism, said carcass being fr'ee of any grappling to the advancing means; said Conveyer-mechanism including a plurality 0f mutually parallel and similarly rotating conveyor-rollers whose respective axes of rotation are substantiall parallel to the aforesaid beater-shaft 'antlextcnd in the direction in which the carcass is advanced, said gang of rollers being disposed in 4a segment-formed group whose angular center is advanced, in the direction of the sweep of the beaters, substantiall forward of a plane projecting downward rom the axis of rotation of the beater-shaft', substantially as specified.

(3. In a hog-dchairing machine, in combination: a power-driven rotating shaft having beaters borne thereon; and -coperatively power-driven and rotarily-acting conveyormechanism adapted to freely and coinplctely support the carcass and at the same time roll it laterally and advance it longitudinally while presenting it. to the simultaneous dehairing-action of the scrapermeehanism, said carcass being free ofany grappling to the advancing means; said conveyer-mechanism including a plurality of mutually parallel and similarly rotating conveyer-rollers, the outer ones of said gang of rollers having smooth peripheries, and the inner ones having spirally ribbed peripheries; substantially as specified.

T; In a hog-dehairing machine, in combination: a power-driven rotating shaft havingbeaters borne thereon; and coperatively power-driven and rotarily-acting conveyermechanism adapted to freely and completely support the carcass and at the same time-rollit laterally and advance it, longitudinally while presenting itto the simultaneous dehairing-action of the scraper-mechanism, said carcass being free of any grappling to the advancing means; said conveyor-mechanism including a lurality of mutually paralleland similar y rotating conveyor-rollers, an outer one of said gang of rollers having a smooth periphery, and others having spirally ribbed peripheries; substantially as specified.

8. In a. hog-dehairing machine?, in combination: a power-driven rotating shaft having beaters lborne thereon; and copcratively power-driven and rotarily-acting conveyermechanism adapted to 'freely and completely port. the carcass and at the same time rol it laterally and advance it longitudinally While presenting it to the simultaneous dehairing-action of the scraper-mechanism, said carcass being free of any grappling to the advancing means; said conveyer-mechanism including a plurality of mutually parallel and similarly rotating conveyer-rollcrs, which are disposed in a segment-formed group concaveto the beater shaft, and whose respective axes of rotation are .,ubstantially parallel to the aforesaid beater-shaft and extend in the direction in which the carcass is advanced; said power-drive connections being so disposed that the sweep of the beaters is in an angular direction reverse to that of the rotarily-moving conveyer-mechanism face upon which the carcass is so rolled, whereby the carcass is rolled over and over by the conjoint action of the beaters and the conveyor-rollers; substantially as specified.

t). In a hog-dehairing machine, in combination: a power-driven rotating shaft having beaters borne thereon; and coperatively power-driven and rotarily-acting conveyormechanism adapted to freely and completely support the carcass and at the same time roll it laterally and advance it longitudinally while presenting it to the simultaneous dehairing-action of thc scraper-mechanism, said carcass being free of any grappling to the advancing means; said conveyer-mechanisln including a plurality of mutually parallel and similarly rotating conveyor-rollers that are disposed in a segment-formed group concave to the beater shaft and that have spil-ally ribbed peripheries, the ribbing being adapted both to advance the carcass and to have a scraping action as the rolling carcass slips across the exposed edges of the ribs; substantially as specified.

10. In a hog-dehairing machine, in the combination: a power-driven rotating shaftV bearin flexibly-mounted Scrapers; and cooperatively power-driven andl rotarily-acting conve ir-mechanism adapted to freely and comp etely support the carcass and at the same time roll it laterally and advance it, longitudinally while presenting it to the simultaneous dehairng-action of the scrapermechanism, said carcass being free of any grappling to the advancing-means; said conveyer-mechanism including a plurality of mutuallyA parallel and similarly rotating conveyer-'rollers disposed in a segmentformed group concave to the beater shaft and that conjointly and severally act to so advance said carcass; substantiall as specified.

11. In a hog-dehairing machine, 1n combination: power-driven and rotarly-acting Aflexible. scraper-mechanism; and coperatively power-driven and rotarly-acting conveyer-mechansm adapted to freely and completely support the carcass and at the same time 'roll it laterally and advance it longitudinally while presentin it to the simultaneous dehairing-action o the scrapermechanism, said carcass being free of any grappling to the advancing-means; said eonveyer-mechanirsm including a plurality Y of mutually parallel and similarly rotating hund in the presence of two subscribing corwevvr-mllers disposed in a segmcntwitnesses.

formed gioup concave to the beater shaft and that act oonjnintly and that severally ALFRED HANNAFORD' include spirally-acting means for so advanc- Witnesses:

ing said mrcass; substantially as specified. I IENRY LUVE CLARKE,

In wituass whereof, I hereunto set my H. M. MUNDAY. 

